PHOTO: Former LACC boss, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin
Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin was booted out of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) was he was robustly leading the charge to fight graft during the immediate past government of former President George Weah’s CDC.
But now, Cllr Martin has surfaced in the new Unity Pary government of President Joseph Boakai, who has just appointed him to head the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce. The former LACC boss has been named on this team along with the former head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Alexander Cuffy who has been appointed as Special Advisor, according to an Executive Mansion press release issued at the weekend (Friday, March 8, 2024).
Before being booted out of the LACC, Cllr. Martin and his team had ss investigated a number of high profile corruption cases and indicted several top officials in the CDC government and recommended their prompt prosecution.
The latest appointment of Cllr. Martin and others on the Assets Recovery Team comes shortly after President Boakai issued Exective Order #126 to begin addressing the longstanding cancer of impunity that has engulfed this West African country for over a century by attempting to bring perpetrators of economic crimes to book. Boakai Issues Executive Order #126 To Seize Stolen Assets & Prosecute Corrupt Officials – News Public Trust
SEE PRESS RELEASE BELOW NAMEING MEMBERS OF TASK FORCE
Executive Mansion, Monrovia – Following the issuance of Executive Order No. 126, establishing the Office of Assets Recovery, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has announced members of the Assets Recovery & Property Retrieval Core Team. The Team is expected to lead the charge to ensure processes leading to the location, recovery, and retrieval of public resources and properties.
Personalities named to the Core Team, who are to meticulously follow and implement the Executive Order, are:
- Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, Chairman
2. Ms. Maima Robertson, Vice Chair
3. Mr. Alexander Cuffy, Member, Special Advisor
4. Mr. Martin Kollie, Member, Good Governance Activist
5. Mr. Ahmed Dempster, Member
6. Hon. Emmanuel Gonquoi, Member, Advocate
7. Dr. Ranny B. Jackson, Member, Public Policy Expert
8. Ms. Angel Andrews, Member, Youth Representative
9. Ms. Victoria Moinsemah, Member, Business Community
10. Mr. George Moore, Member, Security
11. John Mulbah Gblee, Member, Security
12. Mr. Trocon Martin Allen, Member, Private Sector
13. Representative, General Services Agency
14. Representative, Liberia National Police
15. Representative, Ministry of Justice
The Minister of State Without Portfolio for Special Services will serve as ex-officio.